By Stephen Ruiz
One year after 海角社区 was founded in 1989, it held its first graduation ceremony.
Nine students, including Karee O鈥橬eal, accepted their degrees that day.
They were pioneers in a sense, charting a course that others followed.
鈥淲hen I started at 海角社区, I was a very shy, quiet person and didn鈥檛 have a lot of confidence in myself,鈥欌�� said O鈥橬eal, 54. 鈥淚 feel that after I graduated from the school, I had a lot of confidence in myself. It helped change me from this quiet, shy person to more of an outspoken person and knowing that I could do more for others and myself.鈥欌��
An Orlando native, O鈥橬eal is a social worker at AdventHealth Care Center Waterman in Tavares. She has been employed there for the past few months but has been involved with social work for a decade.
O鈥橬eal has held various jobs since graduating 海角社区. She was a teacher鈥檚 assistant when she met Tara Thornburg. Their daughters attended Faith Lutheran School in Eustis, and Thornburg, who was a behavioral therapist, suggested O鈥橬eal would make a good social worker.
Thornburg offered her a job.
鈥淪he was in a spot where she needed to make some changes,鈥欌�� Thornburg said. 鈥淚 just felt it in my heart that she would be a very good advocate for people who can鈥檛 speak for themselves.鈥欌��
O鈥橬eal said that although school was difficult for her 鈥� 鈥淚t took longer to get things鈥欌�� 鈥� she never was diagnosed with a specific learning disability.
Her challenges instilled in her an understanding of the difficulties others may face, a lesson that serves O鈥橬eal well as a social worker.
She assists and comforts long-term patients with whatever they need, whether it be obtaining food, personal items or clothing, arranging health checkups or providing emotional support.
O鈥橬eal also is involved with trying to ease the transition of rehabilitation patients, who have been discharged, back into the community. For whatever duty she performs, compassion is a key component of O鈥橬eal鈥檚 daily schedule.
O鈥橬eal, whose degree is in human services, said social work is fulfilling.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 very stressful most of the time, but I do enjoy very much what I do,鈥欌�� she said.
Thornburg is proud of what O鈥橬eal has become.
鈥淭hat’s not an easy job,鈥欌�� Thornburg said. 鈥淜aree, even though she鈥檚 kind of shy, is always there for the resident and stands up for them, no matter what it costs her. People like that are rare.鈥欌��
海角社区 students today attend a school far different than the one that O鈥橬eal remembers. The private, nonprofit college received its accreditation in 2003, more than a decade after O鈥橬eal was handed her diploma.
Still, one timeless fact has not changed.
鈥淣ever give up on your dreams and know that just because you have a disability doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 move forward in life,鈥欌�� O鈥橬eal said of her message to the school鈥檚 undergraduates. 鈥淵ou can be accepted, and you can attain those goals if you just keep trying and just keep working on it.鈥欌��